Download the free app

Dogs Have Music Preferences, And Most Like Reggae

February 11, 2017

Written byJoanie Faletto

Share

Ever catch the judgy eyes of your pooch when you're rocking out just a little too hard to your latest Spotify playlist? Turns out, if it was "One Love" you were cranking up, your dog was probably into it. According to a 2017 study, dogs have individual music preferences, and most of them like reggae and soft rock.

Dogs Are Super Chill

Based on music preferences alone, your dog and your dad probably have a lot in common. According to a 2016 study from the Scottish SPCA and the University of Glasgow, dogs have individual music preferences, but reggae and soft rock scored highest across the board. Bob Marley and Fleetwood Mac it is!

In the study, dogs listened to five different genres of music: soft rock, Motown, pop, reggae and classical. (So, yes, there is a chance that dogs really love heavy metal...) The researchers then monitored the dogs' stress levels by observing how much they moved around, their heart rate, and other physiological changes. No matter the genre, dogs spent significantly more time lying and less time standing when music was on. However, reggae music and soft rock showed the highest positive changes in behavior.

The New Kennel Playlist

While a dog's taste in music may seem like a silly thing to research, there are very real ways these findings can be put to use. Have to leave your anxious dog home alone for a bit while you run to the store? Press play on "I Shot The Sheriff."

Kennel dogs will benefit too. Gilly Mendes Ferreira, of the SSPCA told the BBC, "At present both our Glasgow and Edinburgh centres are able to pipe music into their kennels. In the future, every center will be able to offer our four-footed friends a canine-approved playlist, with the view to extending this research to other species in our care."

Is there something you're curious about? Email us at editors (at) curiosity.com. And follow Curiosity on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.